Main road Howth village is damaged

Pigeon Reaper

Just to let everyone know the road in the village has been badly damaged overnight. I haven't been around the whole way but take it very slowly on the way down through the village.

fillup

There's also plenty of debris, stones and flowing water on the Sutton side/Carrickbrack side so be careful if you're out that way

Jocry

There was a bad bad accident in the village just down from the Credit Union this afternoon with the full EMT services attending, reports don't sound positive with regards to the outcome but I'm not going to speculate until we know more. However, I would urge people who haven't been out to Howth in a number of weeks to please watch yourselves coming through the village - the roads were destroyed during the recent flooding. Take care out there

AmberGold

Passed by late tonight and the guards still had the road closed off at both ends & were taking photos, measurements etc. Must have been a serious accident for them to go to those lengths.

A few new ripples have appeared in the road on the way into the village, nearly had my hands jolted off the bars last week.

<snip>

Zyzz

Can someone clear up where this is? Was it a cyclist that was involved in the accident?

disco1

Ripples are about parallel to the newsagents in village...if your coming down from summit into village you would hit them...I hit them at 60 kph and its scary...I shocked it was not repaired....fingal will be 100% responsible.

Leroy42

Disco1 is spot on, and the scary thing is that unlike a pothole they are very hard to see when coming down. I descented there last Sunday, of course completely forgetting this thread and hit them full on at 60k. How I held onto the bike I'm not sure. I thought I must have hit the biggest pothole ever until I went back and saw the road.

As far as I can recall there are no warning signs on the road to warn people. Given the nature of the damage, and knowing that cyclists use that descent a good bit, I would have throught it prudent to make some warning signs before the church.

The problem is right across the road so not really anyway to avoid them, you just need to slow down.

Alek

Anybody can go there with a hi vis spray paint and mark the road?

Jocry

Living in Howth and descending that hill many times, I dont want to be a debbie downer but coming through the village from the church down on the bike at 60k is asking for trouble. I'm the biggest fan of flat out and from the summit down I push as hard as possible but the village is lethal and a little irresponsible if I'm being fully honest given the pedestrians and drivers who use it (they can also be a pain in the @rse with their actions as well)

Lumen

Jocry wrote: »

Living in Howth and descending that hill many times, I dont want to be a debbie downer but coming through the village from the church down on the bike at 60k is asking for trouble. I'm the biggest fan of flat out and from the summit down I push as hard as possible but the village is lethal and a little irresponsible if I'm being fully honest given the pedestrians and drivers who use it (they can also be a pain in the @rse with their actions as well)

What's the speed limit for motor vehicles?

I just checked my last Strava activity (from last Sunday) and I slowed to 40kph by the church.

I don't remember the surface anywhere in the village being unusually dangerous given that it's Ireland.

Beasty

Please do not speculate over the condition of anyone involved in the accident unless and until there is official word on the matter

Thanks

Beasty

Zyzz

Jocry wrote: »

Living in Howth and descending that hill many times, I dont want to be a debbie downer but coming through the village from the church down on the bike at 60k is asking for trouble. I'm the biggest fan of flat out and from the summit down I push as hard as possible but the village is lethal and a little irresponsible if I'm being fully honest given the pedestrians and drivers who use it (they can also be a pain in the @rse with their actions as well)

Ironically the segment from the summit to around the traffic lights is flagged, where as the other one that goes into the village isn't..

http://www.strava.com/segments/6767598

Edit: And the KOM he reaches speeds of 75km/h just after the church..

Frank Lee Midere

A man on a motor bike doing 60 will have the full leather gear on. By the church there is incredibly dangerous. Cars are back out from more than one position, pedestrians are crossing the road, the speed limit is probably 30.

iamtony

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

A man on a motor bike doing 60 will have the full leather gear on. By the church there is incredibly dangerous. Cars are back out from more than one position, pedestrians are crossing the road, the speed limit is probably 30.

i think it's 50 coming down the hill anyway.

Jocry

Zyzz wrote: »

Ironically the segment from the summit to around the traffic lights is flagged, where as the other one that goes into the village isn't..

http://www.strava.com/segments/6767598

Edit: And the KOM he reaches speeds of 75km/h just after the church..

75km/h :eek: that's f*ckin insane!

tricky D

There are at least 2 signs warning of bad surface conditions on the descent into the village and there are patches of buckling, rippling, debris and potholes all over the centre of the village on both sides. Even doing the speed limit (50kmph from the Stella Maris to Beshoff Motors) in a car will have you thrown around a good bit over the rippling right in the centre. Leaving aside the current road conditions, there's awkward corners, bad parking with limited visibility when reversing, inattentive pedestrians, uncontrolled dogs, poor driving and more, so going at any high speed through the village is plain dangerous. It should be a 30kmph limit through the village and even less under the current conditions.

Frank Lee Midere

Is it not 30kph in all Irish villages?

C-Shore

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Is it not 30kph in all Irish villages?

I don't think so, typically it's 50kph. The only place I know to be 30kph is Dublin City Centre, and probably some housing estates.

Lumen

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Is it not 30kph in all Irish villages?

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/roads_and_safety/road_traffic_speed_limits_in_ireland.html

Town and city speed limits (50 km/h)
A speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour is in place in built-up areas (other than motorways or special speed limit zones).

Special speed limits (30 km/h or 60 km/h.)
Special speed limits are sometimes applied to designated roads and zones (mainly, for example, on roads on the outside of built-up areas, around schools, etc.). Special speed limits are generally for 30 km/h or 60 km/h. Local authorities in Ireland have the power to introduce bye-laws to set special speed limits in designated areas.

Frank Lee Midere

Hmm. Pretty much all rural villages tend to set that limit.

magicbastarder

it used to be 30mph, which may be why you were thinking of the 30 limit?

Frank Lee Midere

Maybe. Driving around Waterford up the comeraghs in July I saw lots of 30s along rural roads as we hit any town land. Many would have schools of course.

lennymc

technically speed limits are for motorised vehicles so don't apply to bicycles afaik, although, common sense suggests that going down a hill at 60 kmph on a bike into a busy, built up area with cars, pedestrians, and lots of road furniture is a bit silly imho.

bwalsh1983

lennymc wrote: »

technically speed limits are for motorised vehicles so don't apply to bicycles afaik, although, common sense suggests that going down a hill at 60 kmph on a bike into a busy, built up area with cars, pedestrians, and lots of road furniture is a bit silly imho.

Exactly, you would want to be a bit tapped to enter the village at that speed. I always take it right down before the church.

Raam

Almost any speed into the village has its dangers. The number of times motorists have pulled out from the left on me as you get past the church is ridiculous. Too many people do not bother to check properly. Cyclists have a small profile so would be well served to exercise extreme care there.

Lumen

Raam wrote: »

Almost any speed into the village has its dangers. The number of times motorists have pulled out from the left on me as you get past the church is ridiculous. Too many people do not bother to check properly. Cyclists have a small profile so would be well served to exercise extreme care there.

Eh, you might want to check your Strava PB on that descent.

Raam

Lumen wrote: »

Eh, you might want to check your Strava PB on that descent.

I'm an excellent driver.

Beasty

Only been down it the once, and can say I'm happy to be 26s behind Raam at less than 2/3rds his speed on that particular segment ....

Zyzz

Just going bow shamefully out of this thread as I have the fastest time in the boards group on that segment.

deandean

Zyzz wrote: »

Just going bow shamefully out of this thread as I have the fastest time in the boards group on that segment.

if I was that good, my post would be in extra large font.

anyways, with my pc brigade hat on I propose that all downhill strava segments be abolished. on health & safety grounds. only uphill segments allowed hereafter.

Wishbone Ash

deandean wrote: »

...anyways, with my pc brigade hat on I propose that all downhill strava segments be abolished.....

I propose that the PC brigade 'hide' the segments they don't like!

Zyzz

deandean wrote: »

if I was that good, my post would be in extra large font.

anyways, with my pc brigade hat on I propose that all downhill strava segments be abolished. on health & safety grounds. only uphill segments allowed hereafter.

For other segments I'd probably do the same but I know how dangerous that segment is, very surprised there have been no fatal accidents involving cyclists tbh..

Rambling Man

It's amazing that people think pissing downhill through a village at 60 kph is a badge of honour.

Leroy42

I think you'll find that these goes can actually go a lot faster than 60k on that section but are taking into account the different potential dangers.

poddle

Zyzz wrote: »

Can someone clear up where this is? Was it a cyclist that was involved in the accident?

It was just before the Abbey pub..very good friend of mine.had a cardiac arrest and fell off the bike.He's currently being kept in an induced coma in the ICU.We're all hoping He'll pull through.

mardybumbum

poddle wrote: »

It was just before the Abbey pub..very good friend of mine.had a cardiac arrest and fell off the bike.He's currently being kept in an induced coma in the ICU.We're all hoping He'll pull through.

I'm a doctor in the Mater ED and was in the department when your friend was brought in. I always get a shiver down my spine when I see cyclists come into the department.

Hope your friend pulls through and to all the other fellow cyclists here, stay safe out there.

deandean

I wish him well.
It's the kind of thing i would expect to happen when you're bursting yourself going up the hill, not freewheeling down, but I guess you just never know.